Cotton Echoes

In a soft and sweet world, where hugs don't hurt and kisses are priceless, a ship floated high above. In its main hall appeared Diamond, walking cheerfully. Her pale pink hair was somewhat disheveled, and her black fur ears drooped down; however, her small black tail swished energetically from side to side. She wore white clothes with black trim and boots shaped like deer paws.

She carried a gift box with a ribbon on top. Upon reaching her new friend, Tri, she greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hello, Tri! I have a present for you!" she said excitedly, placing the box on the table.

Tri was a doll covered with a hood that covered half of its face, leaving only its mouth visible

His fur was pale blue, and cat ears peeked out from his hood. With the phone in his hand, he watched it without much emotion, while Diamond leaned half his body across the table between them, adopting a slightly suggestive pose.

"All right, but... stand up straight," Tri asked.

Diamond straightened up immediately, as if he were a spring.

"Open it!" he exclaimed, brimming with excitement.

Tri put the phone aside and opened the box. Inside was a small cell phone charm: round, furry, with little ears, blue, and with big, bright eyes.

"It's a little blue ball!" Diamond said tenderly. "It's like you: soft, small, and... beautiful."

His eyes filled with affection and tenderness as he looked at Tri. But he barely reacted to the compliments, which made Diamond hesitate.

"Do... do you like it?" he asked, somewhat nervously.

Tri blinked, snapping back to reality, and nodded

"Yes, I do like it. I'll put it on my phone."

Diamond smiled sweetly. His white, heart-shaped pupils dilated within his dark blue, bright, and beautiful eyes.

"That makes me very happy..." Diamond said, his eyes filling with love as he looked at Tri. "I hope it brings you luck."

His voice was soft, almost a whisper. However, the bell rang throughout the ship, pulling him from his thoughts. He quickly took Tri's arm and led him toward the classroom area.

"It's time to study. I know you don't like it, but we young dolls have to learn," he said kindly, walking down the light-filled corridors.

"You're newer than me, you were born recently, but don't worry..." Diamond added, turning to look at him with a sweet smile as they walked forward. "I... I'm going to protect you."

This time, Tri seemed genuinely surprised and touched by his words. Diamond, noticing this, blushed and looked away, putting his free hand to the back of his neck.

"I mean... I'll help you get settled. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," he apologized nervously.

Tri shook his head and replied calmly,

"No... it's okay, don't worry."

Diamond felt relieved and entered the classroom, where there were four other students, each sitting at their own desk, separated from each other. Without thinking too much, Diamond took Tri's desk and placed it right next to his own, so they were close together.

A classmate with small white horns and thin ears, similar to those of a bull, looked at them confused, but said nothing and went back to concentrating on his notes

As the two friends settled in, the teacher entered the room. He was a red-furred doll, somewhat plump, with the appearance of a bear. He began the lesson in a deep but kind voice:

"Today I'm going to teach you how to tell the difference between a cloth doll—like us—and a ceramic doll. This is very important, for your own good, because the ceramic ones will try to deceive you... and devour your heart."

As he spoke, he drew a diagram of a cloth doll's body on the blackboard. Diamond rested his head on one hand, not too interested, though he continued to listen attentively, even with his eyes closed; his ears caught every word.

"Ceramic dolls were the first generation of dolls," the teacher continued, "but their fragility was their downfall. They couldn't easily repair their cracks, and that led them to devour each other. That's why, nowadays, there are very few of them left."

Tri silently slid a sheet of paper toward Diamond. He looked at it curiously and smiled at the simple tic-tac-toe drawing. Without thinking, he picked up his pencil and drew a circle right in the center, starting the game.

"Now then," the professor continued, "the few remaining ceramic dolls infiltrate our ranks and hunt the cloth dolls. Inside our chests, in the center, we have a precious ceramic heart that gives us life. By consuming it, they can lengthen their own, heal themselves, and grow stronger. They are selfish and dangerous beings. If you recognize one, you must get away and ask for help as soon as possible."

While the teacher spoke, Diamond and Tri silently continued their little game of tic-tac-toe, stifling their laughter so as not to draw attention. That boring class had become, for them, a shared and fun moment.

"You see," the teacher continued solemnly, "ceramic dolls, unlike us, have five fingers on their hands, while we only have four. Also, their fur is limited to their heads; whereas we are made entirely of soft fabric, even if it's just short velvet."

The teacher drew the anatomical differences on the blackboard as he continued:

"They are hollow inside, not stuffed with cotton like us. That makes them hard and inflexible... whereas we are soft and malleable."

Diamond looked up for a moment, studying the ceramic doll in the drawing, before returning to his game with Tri, who was already about to win

Diamond felt the teacher approach and place a thick book on each student's desk, interrupting their little game. Instinctively, he reached out in front of Tri's chest to gently move it aside, preventing him from hitting his head when the heavy book landed.

Tri's mouth opened slightly, surprised. He felt a warm shiver in his chest at the gesture. It was small, almost imperceptible, but it showed Diamond's protective instinct. He said nothing, afraid of embarrassing him, though inwardly he sincerely appreciated the gesture.

Diamond, making light of it, withdrew his arm and opened the book, concentrating on reading and completing the assignment the teacher had given. After a couple of hours of class, it was finally time for recess. Diamond stood up next to Tri, and they both headed to the lunch area. As they walked, Tri stretched his arms upward, numb, letting out a soft sigh of relief at having finished the lesson

Diamond smiled as he watched him stretch, but stopped when Tri halted. The boy was staring at another stuffed companion: a doll with bull horns and soft, elongated ears.

"Are you interested?" Diamond asked curiously. "I can introduce you. He's a shy boy, but I know him."

Tri hesitated for a moment, then nodded. As soon as he did, Diamond ran to the boy and enthusiastically took his hand, pulling him toward them and surprising him with the spontaneity of the gesture.

"Want to eat with us, Vic?" he offered cheerfully. "I'd like you to meet the new guy on the ship. His name is Tri."

The bull, whose name was indeed Vic, looked at them with his head slightly bowed. He hesitated for a few seconds, but finally nodded. It didn't seem like a bad idea: there would only be three of them, and his shyness could handle it.

Even so, he couldn't help feeling a little nervous. Tri was taller than him, standing at 1.70 meters, while both Diamond and Vic barely reached 1 meter in height, the most common height among rag dolls.

Diamond positioned himself between them as they resumed walking toward the lunch area. They were a little late because they had gotten distracted, but it didn't matter too much.

During the walk, Diamond spoke in a low, gentle voice to Vic, asking him how his studies had gone or if he needed any help. He placed a hand kindly on Vic's shoulder, and with the other, he took Tri's hand, the three of them walking together.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, they took their empty trays and went to serve themselves. Diamond handed a tray to Tri and, with his usual gentleness, explained how to do it

"Look, you have to use this big spoon here. Do you have any allergies?" he asked.

Tri shook his head silently.

When they reached the end of the line, where the sweet desserts were, there was only one left. Vic had already taken his, so Diamond grabbed the last one: a chocolate chip cookie. Without thinking, he placed it on Tri's tray.

"You can have this," he said with a smile.

Tri looked at him, surprised by the gesture. Diamond continued walking beside them toward the farthest table, looking for a quiet spot so Vic wouldn't feel overwhelmed by the crowd. "...Thanks..." Tri murmured, barely audible.

Diamond, who was a step ahead, didn't quite hear him, distracted by the bustle of the dining room and the sound of the conversations around them

They sat together, and Tri was the first to put the cookie in his mouth, even before tasting anything else. As he did, he felt it was the best thing he'd ever eaten. Not because of its sweet taste, but because it was the first time anyone had shared something with him.

While Diamond and Vic chatted animatedly, Tri remained silent, thoughtful... almost fearful.

"Are you okay, Tri?" Diamond asked, noticing his expression, placing a hand on his soft shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," Tri replied quickly, trying to hide his discomfort. "It's just... I didn't do my homework. Could you let me copy it?"